Manufacture of inlaid floor cloths



June 24, 1930. BATTEN ET AL 1,766,322

MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR CLOTHS Filed Mairch 8. 1928 6 Sheets-Shet 1 MW mu WW mm M mmq June 24, 1930. E. BATTEN ET AL MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR CLOTHS Filed March 8. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet p amps/woes v m Lydon m1 June 24, 1930 BATTEN ET AL MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR CLOTHS 6 Sheets-Sheet M a Mm F v M RM 0 6 n V w n 5 June 24-, 1930. E. BATTEN ET AL MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR CLOTHS Filed March 8. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet June 24, 1930. BATTEN ET AL 1,766,322

MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR CLOTHS Filed March 8. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 6% 3131 M fizz;

af m sys June 24, 1930. BATTEN ET AL MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR GLOTHS Filed March 8. 1928 6 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED stares earsm orrrca EDWARD BATTEN AND JAMES DENNE BATTEN, v01 LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOES TO AMIEICAN MEDALLION INLAID LINOLEUM CGMPANY (BATTENS NEW PATENTS) INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE MANUFACTURE OF INLAID FLOOR CLOTHS Application, filed March 8,,

This invention relates to the manufacture of inlaid floor cloths by the method in which sheets of plastic material of different colours are taken from continuously rotating calender rolls to continuously rotating cutting cylinders, the knives on the latter severing the travelling material into two principal categories, one of which is returned to thecalenders to be re-incorporated into continuous sheet, while the other, consisting of shapes determined by the contours of the knives, is continuously assembled upon a travelling canvas or other suitable backing, and thereafter consolidated by heat and pressure into a homogeneous floor covering displaying a pattern made up of the diverse colours severally delivered by the respective calender rolls to the individual cutting cylinders which they feed. 7

In continuous rotary machinery for this purpose as heretofore made of the type wherein the selection of the pieces of the plastic material to form thepattern from that which is returned to the calenders is effected by a revolving pattern roll working in connection with each cutting cylinder employed, this roll having diverse radial dimen sions at such points as to secure that, through the instrumentality of this diversity, the material not required to form the pattern is discarded. The length of one complete repeat of the inlaid pattern along the direction longitudinal of the inlaid floor cloth produced has been limited to that which is subjected to the action of the pattern roll in making one complete revolution.

The object of this invention is to overcome that limitation, so that continuous inlaid floor cloths can be produced in which the pattern consists of a central portion framed 111 a square or oblong surrounding border, a continuous sequence of such individually selfcontained bordered decorative designs being assembled on the travelling backing for subsequent consolidation by heat and pressure into one uninterrupted web and comprising a series of adjacent areas each consisting of a self-contained inlaid design; furthermore the inlaid pattern, the length of whichwith or without a border may be greater or less than 1928. Serial. No. 260,138.

the whole circumferential dimension of the cylinder, may comprise within itself repeated subordinate or component patterns.

According to the invention a series of internal or external pattern rolls is arranged to co-operate with each cutting cylinder and to rotate therewith, each pattern roll having determinate periods of pattern selecting action'and inaction, whereby the total contribution of each cutting cylinder to the fabric produced is the sum of the separate contributions determined by the operations of each of its pattern rolls.

in the continuous rotary machinery as heretofore used, the efiect of thelimitation of the extent of the power of selection from the several coloured sheets of plastic material to that which can be accomplished by one revolution of the pattern roll, has in pratice prethe extreme dimension of the design plus the border a total length of 18 feet in the direction longitudinally of the cloth, it would be necessary for each cutting cylinder to have an effective circumference of 54 feet. By the improved apparatus which forms the subject of this invention the same result can be obtained by using the same number of cutting cylinders each having an effective circumference of twelve feet only.

The improved apparatus is preferably employed in conjunction with cutting cylinders of the type called in the trade universal, which sever the sheets of plastic material into unit shapes of one common geometric form as for instance squares, hexagons, parallellograms or triangles, and which produce different patterns by different groupings of the fundamental unit shapes into be change which the plastic material is divided by the knives of the cutting cylinders, but the utility of the invention is not restricted to that type of cutting cylinders, and extends to all such machinery in which inlaid floor cloth is produced by means of a series of cutting cylinders, each contributing to the pattern from the coloured plastic material with which it is fed portions of the shapes determined by its knives, and selected by a revolving pattern roll, which operates by means of some portions of its effective surface being at a greater radial distance from its centre than other portions, whereby the material not required for the pattern being produced is rejected from the cutting cylinder. Instead of the plastic material of the shapes determined by the knives of the cutting cylinders being selected for rejection or incorporation in the inlaid pattern by one constantly revolving pattern roll for each cylinder, and thereby the variety of pattern forms possible for any length of inlaid fioor cloth being restricted to such as can be controlled in one revolution of the pattern roll, one or more additional pattern rolls is or are according to this invention so mechanically associated with each cutting cylinder that each roll intermittently controls the rejection of plastic material from the cylinder. The machinery is of such a character that the effective operations of each pattern roll towards the production of the continuous web ,of inlaid floor cloth are so restricted that each controls a different section or sections of the area comprised within a complete cy cle of operations, such complete cycle being made up of the several operations necessary to the various components to produce an inlaid area which may be comprised within and inclusive of a border or frame. The dimension of this area in the direction of the travel of the fabric is hereafter referred to as the length of the rug, and the cycle of pattern roll operations is controlled by rotating timing cams or wheels connected to the cutting cylinder b gearing, the ratio of which can El and thereby the cycle of operations completed in rugs of greater or less length.

With universal cylinders in which the different patterns are produced by diflerent groupings of fundamental unit shapes, the length of the rug may be greater or less than the effective circumference of the separate cutting cylinders. When using the invention with non-universal cutting cylinders wherein the knives in different areas of its surface as defined by the angles through which it rotates are adapted to cut the plastic material into such a diversity of shapes that the same knives can in the length of therug produce one section only of the complete pattern design thereof, the rug length cannot be greater than the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder, and if less than this, and the inlaid fabric is to form an uninterrupted web of successive rug lengths, then each of these rug lengths must be an aliquot part of the effective eircumference of the cutting cylinder.

The operation of each cutting cylinder and its pattern rolls, when the same are internal, are as follows :.the sheet of plastic material is continuously fed to the cutting cylinder and passes between the knives thereof and the continuously rotating surface of a roll external to the cylinder and in contact with the knives. The plastic material is thereby cut and pressed towards the centre of the cutting cylinder, which is thus fully charged with pieces of material of the shapes determined by the knives whieh separate each piece from the adjacent material. The fully charged portion of the cutting cylinder in its rotation arrives at the position where it is brought under the operation of the first pattern roll, projections upon the surface of which impart a radial motion to ejectors which slide in holes in the walls of the cutting cylinder, and on the internal ends of the ejectors being forced outwards by the projections on the pattern roll their external ends press upon the plastic material not required for the pattern being produced and reject it for return to the calenders. When the first pattern roll has rejected its allotted portions of the material, it is withdrawn by means of its timing cam or other control gear towaros the centre of the cutting cylinder to a sufficient extent to prevent its ejecting any more, and the succeeding fully charged portion of the cylinder passes to a second pattern roll which operates in the same way as the first, ejecting the material not required for that portion of the finished fabric pattern in which it is to be incorporated, and

this second pattern roll is then by its timing cam or other control gear withdrawn to its inactive position. If the particular rug lengthv being produced coincides with the angular movement of the cutting cylinder during two revolutions of each pattern roll and also with the sum of the effective circumferences of the two pattern rolls, then two pattern rolls only are required for each cutting cylinder. In that case the timing devices will be geared in such a ratio to the cutting cylinder that the first pattern roll will have been restored to the radial position wherein it imparts motion to the ejectors at the appropriate point in the revolution of the cylinder to commence a new cycle comprising a rug length following its predecessor, and by repetition of the control cycle a constant succession of such lengths will be produced in the form of a continuous sheet of inlaid floor cloth. As however it is desirable that the machinery should be capable of producing a variety of rug lengths, some greater than could conveniently be comprised with in the eifective circumferences of two pattern rolls only for each cutting cylinder, and as the moving of the pattern rolls to and fro between their outer and inner positions is difiicult to accomplish without reducing their effective circumferences as selectors of the pieces of material to be incorporated in the pattern, it is preferred to provide for the installation of at least .a third pattern roll in combination with each cutting cylinder each roll having its own timing device and gearing to determine the section of the rug length for which it is to be the pattern selecting instrument, and in the subsequent description of the invention the use of three pattern rolls for each cutting cylinder will be assumed.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings or diagrams in which Figure 1 is a diagrammaticalside elevation of a continuously rotating cutting cylinder and its associated mechanical elements.

Figure 2 is a development upon a larger scale of the knives of acommon form of universal cutting cylinder adapted for the building up of different patterns from different groupings of the same fundamental unit shapes in the usual manner.

Figure 3 is a section of a portion of a universal cutting cylinder representing an ejector of the ordinary type used in such cylinders.

Figure 4; is a plan of the ejector head.

Figure 5 represents the sections of the rug length controlled by each of the pattern rolls when the total length of the rug is one and a half times the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder.

Figure 6 is a similar diagram for a rug length equal to the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder.

Figure 7 is a similar diagram for a rug length equal to three quarters of the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of afor-in of control gear for the pattern rolls by which their periods of pattern selecting action and inaction are determined.

Figure 9 is a section takenon thesectional planes S S in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a partial section of a pattern roll and cutting cylinder at the other end from that to which the control gear is fitted.

Figure 11 illustrates a method of driving the pattern controlling gear the time of op erations of which may be varied to-produce different rug lengths.

Figure 12 is a section on a larger scale of a part of the chain tension adjusting mechanism.

Figures 13 to 39 are detail views hereinafter referred to; of thepattern roll con-' trolling gear.

The cutting cylinder here represented is adapted to receive continuously a" sheet of plastic material fed to it from a calender, to cut up this sheet, to reject by means of internal pattern rolls-the portions of material not required for the pattern being produced, and to inlay the pieces proper for the saidpattern upon a travelling backing, the number of cutting cylinders with their associated mechanical elements incorporated in one inlaying machine being the same asthe number of sheets of plastic material of diverse colours which are to be assembled on the backing to form the complete pattern of the floor cloth.

In Figure l A; indicates a sheet of plastic material delivered continuously fromthe calender (not shown) and passing around a roller B from which it is guided by a travelling band conveyor to the knives of the cutting cylinder D. The surface of the roller B rotating in contact with the knives of the cylinder D, the sheet A is forced into the spaces between the knives which determine the outlines of the portions of A to be incorporated into the pattern. The portion of the circumferential area of D thus fully charged with plastic material continuing its rotation arrives at the pattern roll E and the ejectors (Figures 8 and 4) at that part ofthe cylinder D are caused to move' radially outwards by the studs projecting from the surface of E at such points thereof as are approprite for rejecting whatever parts of the plastic material are not required for the pattern to be assembled in the area controlled by the roll 'E these parts of the said material are rejected thereby, and removed by the clearing roll F whichin accordance with the usual practice is provided with pins to engage the said material. The selecting-action of the roll E continues until the seg* ment of its surface which contains none of the studs arrives at the common radial line through the centres of D, E and F whereupon the roll E may be'moved radially towards the centre of the cylinder D'and its pattern selecting action suspended. As rotation continues, the roll E having ceased to operate the ejectors, the fully charged portion of the cylinder D succeeding that in which its contribution to the pattern was determined by the roll E arrives at the angular position where it is subjected'to the similar pattern selecting operations of the roll E until, as previously described in the case of the roll E the segment of the roll E? which is devoid of projecting studs arr1ves' after a determined number of revolutions, at the common radial line through the centres of D, E and F whereupon the roll E being moved radially towards thecentre of the cylinder D its pattern selecting operationsa-realso suspended. The combined action of the cylinder D with the rolls E and F is of a se mental areas only so much of the )lastic' If? U material as is required for the pattern of inlaid floor cloth being produced, and as detcrmined for each area making up the rug length by the pattern roll to the operations of which the ejectors in the corresponding segment of the cylinder D were subjected. l/Vhen that part of the cylinder D containing so much of the plastic material as is required for the pattern arrives at the position determined by the common radial line passing through the centres of the cylinder D and a plain inlaying roll Gr, rotating at such a radial distance from the centre of the cylinder D as to cause all the ejectors as they pass it to move radially outwards to a sui'licient extent, the pattern forms of the plastic material selected by the rolls E E and E are all deposited upon the backing, which is carried forward at the same surface speed as the cutting edges of the knives of D, by pin points on the travelling surface H perforating the backing in the usual manner. A plain rotating roll I causes the ejectors to protrude beyond the knives to be cleaned by the rotary brush J in the usual manner.

The clearing rolls F F and F are of the type commonly used in rotary machinery for themanufacture of inlaid floor cloth, wherein a suitable number of rings of radial pin points, the pins being for each ring in the same circular plane at right angles to the axis of the clearing roll, have the rejected material from the sheet A pressed upon them by the-ejectors, to be subsequently removed by combs the teeth of which lie between the rings of pins. Rotary brushes are sometimes used instead of clearing rolls for clearing away the rejected portions of sheet, and may be used with this invention. 7

\Vhen by the successive operations of as many cutting cylinders as the number of sheets of plastic material which are to contribute to the finished floor cloth the whole of the material is inlaid upon the backing, the material and backing together are taken fromthe surface H in the usual manner and consolidated by heat and pressure in the way customary withrotary floor cloth inlaying machinery.

Referring to Figure 5, which illustrates the relative areas of the whole design within which the shaded parts are determined by the-several pattern rolls of one cutting cylinder,-the representation is on so small a scale that basic areas only are defined irrespective of the intricacy of pattern which may in actual manufacture be produced within those areas. E E and E? are diagrammatic developments upon straight lines of the pattern rolls E E and E represented in Figure 1. The triple lines of each development correspond to the segmental areas of the respective pattern rolls from which project the studs for operating the ejectors, the studs in these segmental areas forming projections from the surface of the pattern rolls at such selected positions as to reject the portions of sheet material not wanted for the particular pattern being made. The single lines of each development correspond to the gaps or segmental areas of the pattern rolls which contain no projecting studs and there fore provide an idle period in the revoluion of their respective pattern rolls. During this idle period the pattern rolls are by their controlling gear moved towards the centre of the cuttin cylinder to a position Where the studs no longer operate the ejectors, and, continuing to rotate in correct phase with the cutting cylinder, are by the same gear, at the appropriate return of the gap in the pattern roll to the same angular position, moved outwards from the centre of the cutting cylinder to operate the ejectors again. The arrows crossing each development E, E and E which point to the right hand denote a movement of the pattern roll to which they refer to the outward or active position, and those pointing to the left hand denote a movement to the inward or inactive position.

K incicates the rug length, L is the development of the circumference of roll E N of roll E and M of the roll E In the case of the pattern shown in this example, L and N are equal and each one quarter of K the rug length, the latter being equal to one and a half times the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder, and therefore the controlling gear which moves the pattern rolls to their active and inactive positions must be connected to the cutting cylinder by gearing so proportioned that one cycle of the controlling gear is completed in one and a half revolutions of the cutting cylinder. R denotes the part of the rug length the pat tern of which is determined b E and E P equal to L and to N is the length of the repeat of the pattern inlaid upon this area. 0 is the zero line of the pattern and corresponds to O 0 and O the zero lines of the pattern rolls E E and E in Figure 1. T he gap in E extends from 0 forward, that in E from O backward, the studs in each are placed symmetrically on either side of O, and E? and E except as regards the angular position of their gaps with reference to their zero lines, are duplicates of each other.

The sum of Q? and Q together is equal to M minus the gap in E M being the develop ment of the pattern roll E and the studs projecting from its surface determine the pattern for the portions of the rug length denoted by Q and Q M is in this pattern one sixth of K the rug length.

The cycle of operations for producing the pattern as in Figure 5 may be traced by commencing at the Zero line 0 and following the developments E, E and E down wardsuat O, E and E are both in the outward or active position, E in the inward or inactive position, the pattern is therefore determined by E and E jointly until at the appropriate time in the cycle of the control gear denoted by the leftward pointing arrow of E this pattern roll is withdrawn from its active position, E continues the pattern determination until the point where the lower end of R coincides with the upper end of Q}, when the gap in its assemblage of projecting studs having completed the number of revolutions determined by the control gear as denoted by the leftward pointing arrow, E is withdrawn from its active position. The arrow pointing to the right across the gap of E shows that the control gear of E has moved E into the active position in time for it to continue the pattern and inlay the area Q}. As the cycle of operations is completely contained in the rug length K the phase of the cycle at the bottom of Q} is identical with that at the top of Q and we may therefore continue to trace the cycle downwards from the top of Q E continues to determine the pattern until the bottom of Q and the top of R coincide, when the arrow pointing to the left across the gap in E denotes the removal of E by the control gear to its inactive position. Immediately before this point is reached the arrow pointing to the right across the gap in E denotes the return of E to the active position, and E alone determines the pattern until the arrow across the gap in E denotes the return of E to the active position, from which point E v and E jointly continue the pattern determination for the remainder of the cycle.

Referring to Figure 1 it may be seen that E E and E are in different angular positions with reference to the rotation of the 7 cutting cylinder D. It is therefore necessary,

connectin D with E E and E should be so adjusted that the same radial line on D which coincides with O the zero of E at the ejecting point, should also coincide'with O and 0 when its rotation brings it successively into the proper phase for coincidence with these zero radial lines at the corresponding ej ecting points.

Figure 6 is representative of the pattern in the same way as Figure 5,-so far asthe basic construction of the pattern thereon is similar, In this pattern K the rug length is equal to the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder D, therefore the gearing con-,

necting D with the control gear must be so proportioned that a cycle of the control gear is completed in a revolution of D. The lettering of Figure 6 is identical with that of the corresponding features of Figure 5. In this case L, N and P are each one third of K, and" M one quarter of K. As in this pattern the rug length is equal to the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder the same knives and ejectors will always determine the pattern at the same part of the rug length, therefore the cutting cylinders for producing a pattern of these basic proportions may be eitherof the non-universal or universal type, this invention being equally applicable to both types of cutting cylinders in all cases where the rug length is equal to the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder or to an aliquot part thereof. The cycle of operations for producing the pattern in Figure 6 may be traced in the same way as described for the pattern in Figure 5.

In Figure 7, K is equal to three quarters of the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder, therefore the gearing connecting D and the pattern roll control gear must be so proportioned that the cycle is completed in three quarters of a revolution of D, and D is assumed for this pattern to be of the universal type. L and N are each equal to one half of K, L alone determines the pattern for the upper half of R, N alone that for the lower half of R; M which is one third of K.

determines the pattern for Q and Q It may be seen by tracing the cycle of the operations of the control gear that with patterns of the basic construction of Figure 7, during the production of the full rug length each of the projecting studs contained in the pattern rollsE E and E operates one only of the ejectors of D, from which it follows that over the whole area of the rug there is insuch basic patterns no necessity to have any repetion of the same pattern form.

As one or more of the pattern rolls E E E during a part of the operations already described is or are required to be inoperative while rotating, means must be provided for withdrawing them from the positions in which their projecting studs engage the ejectors in the cylinder D and for returning them to those positions. Any form of control gear maybe employed which is capable of moving the pattern rolls at determinate points in the rug length to and from positions of pattern selecting activity and idleness respectively, but this may be conveniently accomplished by mounting the rolls on eccentric shafts, by rotating which shafts in unchanged directions the said rolls are alternately moved into operative and inoperative positions, each .step of rotation being to the extent of 180 degrees, and being automatically effected at the proper times. An example of means for effecting these operations will now be described.

The cylinder D is caused to rotate by any suitable mechanism, its knives having a circumferential speed equal to the linear speed at which the surface H is caused to travel in known manner. At one end of the cylinder D there is an internally toothed wheel 1, (Figures 8 and 10) which drives through spur pinions 1 (Figure 16) on sleeves (Figures 9 and 10) the internal rolls E E E and also drives through ordinary spur pinions the rolls G and 1 shown diagrammatically in Figures 1 and 11. Each sleeve 3 rotates on a cylindrical part 2 of a shaft of a pattern roll and the said sleeve 3 may be considered as the body of the pattern roll, being provided at points determined by the particular pattern of floor cloth to be produced with projecting studs (Figure 9) for operating the ejectors. The portion 2 of the shaft around which the sleeve 3 rotates is eccentric in relation to the portions 5, 6 and 7 this shaft is at determined points in the rug length rotated through 180 degrees by the control gear, and thus causes the sleeve to take two different positions, one with the centre of the part 2 nearer to the centre of the cylinder D than the common centre of the parts 5, 6 and 7 when the rotating sleeve 3 with its projectin g studs ceases to operate the ejectors of the cylinder D, the other position wherein the centre of the part 2 is farther from the centre of the cylinder D than the common centre of 5, 6 and 7 so that the projecting studs on the sleeve 3 move the ejectors of the cylinder D radially outward, discarding the portions of sheet material not required for the floor cloth pattern being made. The journals 5 and 7 may be support-ed in ball bearings, one of which is shown in section at 8 in Figure 9. The teeth on the parts 1 and 4, are sufiiciently large to avoid disengagement when the pattern roll is moved towards the centre of the cutting cylinder.

The control gear illustrated by way of eX- ample for effecting the unidirectional intermittent rotation of the eccentric shaft 2 comprises a compressed air cylinder 171 represeutcd in position in Figures 8 and 9, and de tached in Figures 14 to 18; a piston rod 16 working in sai d cylinder and terminating upwardly in a rack 161, Figure 8, the said rod and rack being also seen detached in Figure 19; a boss 15 (Figures 9, 20 and 21) provided with teeth 15A in mesh with the said rack 161 to be rotated thereby, the said boss 15 being Free y rotatable over a sleeve 9 (Figures 9, 22 and 23) secured on an extension 6 of the shaft spring-impelled plungers 13A and 14A Figures 9, 2d and 25) carried on the said sle ve 9 and adapted to connect this sleeve sleeve 9 and thus to the shaft 2; a sprocket wheel 23 (Figures 8, 9, 26 and 27) continuously driven by a chain 4-2 (Figure 11) from a rotary part of the machine at a speed variable by means of change wheels, the said wheel 23 carrying studs or projections 21 and 22 (Figures 8 and 26), the said projections in the rotation of the wheel 23 consecutively engaging a rocking lever 24 (Figures 8, 9, 28 and 29) which by means of a rotary valve 25 (Figures 9, 30, 31 and 32) controls the admission and exhaustion of the compressed air used to actuate the piston rod 16 to rotate the sleeve 9; a locking bar 12 (Figures 9 and 38) adapted when impelled by a spring 36 (Figures 8 and to engage one or the other of a pair of diametrically opposite slots or notches 10 and 11 (seen clearly in Figure 22) in the sleeve 9 to prevent rotation of the said sleeve and of the pattern roll from certain adjusted positions until the said bar 12 is withdrawn from the said notch by the movement of the valve 25; a tripping piece 34: (Figures 8, 34land which can be clamped in any adjusted position on the boss 15 and rotates therewith to release the lever 2st from .the stud 21 or 22 in order that a spring 35 (Figure 8) may return the said lever 24 to the position in which the admission valve is closed; and a spring 17 (Figure 9) carried in a bracket 18 (Figures 36 and 37) secured on a foundation plate 19 (Figures 8, 9, 38 and 39) which is in turn fixed to one of the bearings 20 (Figure 8) of the cylinder D, which spring 17 is secured to the boss 15 and serves to reverse the rotation imparted to the boss 15 by the rack 161.

In the position represented in Figures 8 to 10, the eccentric shaft 2 and pattern roll are assumed to be in the position of inoperative rotation, and are there retained by the engagement of the locking bar 12 with the notch 11 of the sleeve 9. 1n the active position of the pattern roll, the bar 12 is in engagement with the opposite notch 10 of the sleeve. Radial holes 18 and 1a at opposite ends of a common diameter in thesleeve 9 contain spring operated plungers 13A and 14A, the outer ends of these pluugers being so shaped that either is capable of engaging with a single notch 151 in the boss 15, (see Figure 20). lVheu neither plunger 13A, 14A, is engaged with the notch the boss 15 is free to revolve upon the sl eve 9, but when either is engaged the boss 15 is locked to the sleeve 9 and thereby to the shaft extension. 6 of the roll 3, so that any rotary motion of the boss 15 during the period of engagement is common to :lQQVG 9 and to the shaft 2, 5, 6, 7.

The boss 15 is at one part, 15A (Figures 9 and 21) provided with spur gear teeth through which by means of v the rack 161 an intermittent rotary motion of 180 degrees is imparted to the boss 1 and, when either plunger 13A or 14A is engaged, to the sleeve 9 also and to the shaft 2, 5, 6, 7. The rack 161 is caused to move outwards from the air cylinder 171 by means of air pressure belowthe piston, of the rod 16 of which the rack 161 forms an extension, and at its every outward movement the boss -15,-sleeve 9 and the shaft- 2, 5,6,7 are positivelylcaused torotate through 180 degrees clockwise with reference to the end elevation Figure 8. Asduring the inward movement of the rack 161 neither of the plungers, 13A and v14A, is in engagement with the notch in the boss 15, the anti-clockwise rotation through 18.0 degrees of the boss 15 accompanying this movement is not communicated to the sleeve :9 nor to theshatt12, 5, 6, 7 and from this it follows that the part 2 being rotated 180 degrees clockwise at every outward movement of the rack 161, each of these outward movements will by the eccentricity of the part 2 determine whether the patternroll revolving around the part 2 shall be in an active or inactive position with reference to the ejectors of the cylinder D. The inward movement ofthe rack 161 and the anticlockwise rotation of the boss 15 are effected by means of the coil spring 17, one end of which is anchored to the bracket 13 which is rigidly fixed to the foundation plate 19. The other end of the spring 17 is attached to the boss 15 so that every clockwise rotation of the latter through 180 degrees is opposed by the resistance of the spring 17, and every anti-clockwise movement restores the spring to its initial condition.

The movements through whichthe pattern 1 roll is restored from the position represented in Figures 8 and 9 to its active position are effected by the stud 21 carried by the sprocket wheel 23, which rotates around the boss 15, and is driven from the cylinder D by gearing of such proportions that the sprocket wheel 23 makes one revolution in the length of the rug. The rotation of the wheel 23 causes the projection 21 to move the end of the arm 24 with which it is in contact towards the lett'hand side, viewing Figure 8, and thus rotates the admission valve 25 to which it is attached by the trunnion pin 26, so as to uncover a port in a valve chamber 27, to which is admitted air under pressure through an orifice in the branch 28 communicating with any con venient source of compressed air. By means of a pin 29, carried in the pair of crank arms at the end of the valve 25 opposite to that end at which the arm 24 is attached the rotation of the valve 25 withdraws the bar 12 from the locking notch 11, and by this movement the bar 12 also opens a way from the compressed air to pass'from the chamber 2'? through the passage 30, and the valve pocket 31 in the bar 12, to the chamber 32 and by way or the passage 33 to the underside of the piston of the cylinder 171. When the bar 12 is completely withdrawn from the notch 11 the piston and rod 16 are by the compressed air forced outwards, rotating, by means of the rack 161 and the teeth at 15A, thepa rts 15, v9 and the shaft 2, 5, 6, 7. A tripping piece 34, which maybe clamped at any selected angular position on the boss 15,

rotates therewith and at the appropriate moment an inclined surface at 134 (Figures 34 and 35) on this tripping-piece 34 passes between the sprocket wheel 23 and the arm 24,

moving the latter around the trunnion pin 26 and interrupting the contact'otthe' arm 24 with the stud :21. The spring 35 is then 1 posite the bar 12, the spring 36 forces the bar 12 into the slot 10, and the pattern roll is locked in its position toractive rotation. The bar 12 by the said movement which secures the pattern roll in its position of ac tlvity uncovers the exhaust'port 37, so that the working fluid is free to escape from the pressure side ofthe piston in the cylinder 171. By the same movement the bar 12 forces the plunger 13A by its pressure upon the part 131 thereof out of engagement with the notch 151 in the boss 15, and the spring 17 rotates the boss 15 anti-clockwise until, this movement having extended to 180 degrees, it is arrested by the spring plunger 14A engaging with the said notch 151. The position is now the same as that illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 except that the radial distance of the pattern roll from the centre of the cutting cylinder D is increased, by the eccentricity of the part2, through the engagement of the bar 12 with the notch 10 instead of withvthe notch 11, that the plunger 14A instead of 13A is engaged with the notch 151 in the boss 15, and that by the continued rotation of the sprocket wheel 23, the stud 21 has for the cycle of one rug length passed beyond the phase of its action on the arm 24. The further rotation of the sprocket wheel 23 will at the appointed time cause the stud 22 to operate upon the arm 24 precisely as described with relation tothe V stud 21, and by corresponding movements complete the cycle, restoring the pattern roll to the position appropriate for its idle rotation, where it will remain until the stud 21 again engages with the arm 24. A roller 44 on the bracket 18 (Figures 36 and 37) engages with a groove in the rack 161 to which it forms a guide.

An" adjustable cushion valve represented on a larger scale in section in Figure 13 may be fitted to the hole 45 (Figure 9) in the head of the cylinder 171, the purpose of which valve is to protect the mechanism from shock by controlling the exit and entrance of air to the outer end of the said cylinder 171.

The studs 21 and 22 are adjustable in an annular groove 123 in the wheel 28 to determine the relative positions in the rug length of the periods of activity and idleness of the pattern roll.

In further reference to Figure 11, the manner of varying the cycle of operations according to the length of the rug will now be explained. Each pattern roll E E and E is provided with a system of control gear as above described. For the correct working of the whole cycle, whatever he the length of the rug required, it is necessary that while the cylinder D rotates through so many degrees of are as at its effective circumference are equal to the rug length, each of the sprocket wheels 23 must make one complete revolution. To effect this the change gear wheel 38 is secured upon the shaft of the internal roll I; this wheel through the intermediate gear wheel 39 freely rotating upon an adjustable journal axle drives the second change gear wheel 10 attached to which is a chain gear wheel &1, which, having the same number of teeth as are provided around the circumference of each of the sprocket wheels 23, rotates by means of the driving chain 42 each of the sprocket wheels 23 through one revolution whilst the cutting cylinder r0- tates through the number of degrees of arc of which the development on a straight line constitutes the rug length.

The chain 42 can be adjusted to the correct tension by any suitable means, for example, as represented in Figure 12, the wheels tO and 41 are carried on and rotate around an adjustable eccentric sleeve as, which is supported on the end of the shaft of the roll G, and in which that shaft is free to rotate, and by varying the angular position of the sleeve 43 around the centre of the roll G the chain 42 maybe tightened or slackened at will. The numbers of teeth in the change wheels 38 and 40 are selected in such ratio as to revolve the sprocket wheels 23 one complete revolution whilst the effective circumference of the cutting cylinder D moves through the number of degrees of are which comprises the rug length.

\Vhile it is considered preferable that the pattern rolls should be within the cutting cylinders D, it is obvious that if E E and E with their control gears were removed, and replaced by plain rolls rotating within the cylinder D and at such radial distance from its centre as to cause, at the pattern selecting positions, the outer surface of the ejectors to be in contact with the inner surface of the material with which the cylinder D is charged, and thereby to offer an effectual resistance to any displacement of the material towards the centre of the cylinder D, the same pattern selecting efiects could be produced by replacing F F 2 and F 3 by rolls each having diversities of surface or of the radial dimensions thereof so distributed that at the appropriate points they engage with and remove from the cylinder D the portions of material it was necessary to reject to produce the desired pattern, and furthermore if the control gear were applied to these outside rolls so that their operations conformed to the same cycles as previously described with reference to E E and E then the object of the invention would be equally attained by this alternative method of operating it.

1V hat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. Rotary machinery comprising cutting cylinders for producing inlaid floor cloth from sheets of plastic material, wherein a series of pattern rolls is arranged to co-operate with each cutting cylinder and to rotate therewith, each pattern roll having determinate periods of pattern selecting action and inaction.

2. A machine for the manufacture of inlaid floor cloth wherein a rotary cylinder pro vided with knives and ejectors, around which can pass a continuous sheet of plastic material, is associated with two or more internal pattern rolls having means adapted to operate the said ejectors, the said pattern rolls being rotated directly by gearing from the said cylinder and being alternately placed in their operative positions and withdrawn theerefrom by change gearing.

A machine as in claim 2, wherein each pattern roll is mounted on an eccentric shaft, and its movement from the active to the inactive position or vice versa is effected by the intermittent rotation of the said shaft to the extent of 180 degrees.

4. In a machine for the manufacture of inlaid floor cloth, a rotary cylinder provided with knives and ejectors, means whereby a continuous sheet of plastic material is caused to pass around said cylinder, a plurality of pattern rolls having thereon meansadapted to operate said ejectors, each of said rolls being mounted on an eccentric shaft, by the intermittent rotation of which shaft to the extent of 180 degrees at each movement said roll is alternately placed in its operative position and withdrawn therefrom, an intermittently rotating member adapted to be connected with said shaft to cause said movements thereof, and automatic means for starting and stopping. the movement of said member.

5. A machine as in claim 4, wherein a timcauses the return stroke of the said piston.

EDVARD BATTEN. JAMES DENNE BATTEN. 

